


Whumptober 2020 - 14 - All In

by Celticgal1041



Series: Whumptober 2020 [14]
Category: Magnum P.I. (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, Burns, Gen, Hurt Thomas, Hurt/Comfort, Whump, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:20:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27013387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celticgal1041/pseuds/Celticgal1041
Summary: As torture techniques went, fire was a pretty damn effective one.
Series: Whumptober 2020 [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1949548
Comments: 10
Kudos: 39
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Whumptober 2020 - 14 - All In

If it wasn’t for bad luck, he’d have no luck at all. Strictly speaking, that wasn’t entirely true, but days like today made that hard to remember.

“No!”

Magnum cringed at the man’s agonized scream. As torture techniques went, fire was a pretty damn effective one. As a species, humans still possessed an instinctual fear of fire, which was kind of ironic since it was also an advancement that had helped humans survive and evolve.

“Please, stop,” the man on the ground desperately sobbed.

Thomas didn’t even know the guy, but that’s where Lady Luck had intervened to play a cruel trick on him. He’d been about to get into the Ferrari after checking out a lead on a current case, when the unknown man approached from the sidewalk to ask for directions. It had been such a short, innocent interaction, that had ended suddenly and violently when he was attacked and thrown into the back of a windowless van.

When Magnum had recovered from the strike to the head that had made him pliant enough to be taken, he’d found himself bound to a chair inside a dirty warehouse, next to the stranger he’d barely spoken to. Sadly, no amount of pleading could convince their captors that he didn’t know the other guy, and that wasn’t even the best part.

No, his day had only gone downhill when Louis, the apparent leader of this group of bad guys, had decided to use a handheld propane torch to get the information he wanted. The only upside was that he’d started on Magnum’s new buddy first, leaving the investigator as a helpless bystander.

“Come on, Frankie,” Louis encouraged the man he was tormenting. “Just tell me what you told the cops, and this can all be over.”

‘Yeah, come on, Frankie,’ Magnum thought to himself, somewhat curious now to find out what he’d been dragged into. That Louis and his gang were up to no good was a given, but he wouldn’t mind having more details he could pass along to Katsumoto once he was free. Assuming freedom was in the cards for him.

“Nothing,” Frankie sobbed, his face covered in a combination of sweat and snot. The poor man had been first softened up by some blows to his torso and face, before being dumped on the floor where Louis had taken over. So far, the focus had been on the palms of Frankie’s hands, both which were now red, swollen, and blistered.

“Nothing; I swear,” Frankie sobbed, clearly near the end of his endurance. He’d actually hung on longer than Magnum had expected, the former SEAL knowing far too well the raw agony associated with burning skin, followed by the never-ending searing heat that continued to smolder within one’s flesh.

Louis smirked at the four other men with him before returning his gaze to the man writhing on the floor. “Not sure I believe you,” he snickered, already moving closer to apply the flame in his hands to another vulnerable body part.

Magnum averted his gaze as Louis went to work again, wincing not only at Frankie’s screams but the nauseating smell of burnt flesh that now permeated the area around them. It would be a long time before he’d be enjoying any meat off the grill.

“How about you? Care to tell me what Frankie refuses to?”

‘Huh?’ Magnum thought as he realized the question had been directed at him. Turning his attention back to the scene before him, he noted the slackness of Frankie’s form; the poor guy had finally passed out. Shifting his gaze upwards, he saw Louis staring at him expectantly.

“Ah, I don’t even know Frankie,” Thomas replied, chastising himself silently for not coming up with anything more convincing.

“Then how do you know his name?” Louis countered, the smirk once more pinned firmly to his features.

Magnum did his best to keep the sarcasm from his tone as he answered, “Because that’s what you’ve been calling him this whole time.”

It became apparent that he hadn’t been as successful as he’d hoped with his tone when Louis’ expression darkened dangerously. “You some kind of wise guy?”

Knowing that there was no right answer, but also unable to stay silent, Thomas offered a slightly questioning, “No?”

Louis gave a jerk of his head which had two of his men moving to Magnum’s sides. Within seconds they’d released his arms, only to retie them but this time with his palms facing upwards. Thomas jerked both limbs in an effort to free himself, but the men got an A when it came to tying strong knots.

“You saw what happened to Frankie when he didn’t cooperate,” Louis reminded him, the flame on the torch turned low but flickering dangerously all the same.

“You gotta believe me, man,” Magnum began. “I’m a coward when it comes to pain. If I knew anything, you wouldn’t be able to shut me up.”

Louis didn’t respond but moved closer, Thomas’ eyes now firmly pinned to the wavering flame. It was getting so close he would swear he could feel its heat, and the fingers of his left hand twitched involuntarily in anticipation of the coming pain. Ripping his gaze from the torch to Louis’ face, Magnum tried once more, his voice low and even as he tried to appeal to the criminal. “Please, don’t do this.”

Far from convincing him to stand down, Louis took the investigator’s words as an invitation to proceed, responding like a shark who’d just tasted blood. Unwaveringly, he lowered the flame to Magnum’s exposed forearm, letting the fire dance over the investigator’s skin for several long seconds.

The first bite of the flame set Thomas’ nerve endings alight, and though he knew he couldn’t get away, he still reflexively tugged at his arm in an effort to pull it from the heat. As the flame lingered over his flesh, he could feel the sharp agony settling in, sending flares of white-hot pain downwards to his fingers and up into his shoulder.

His teeth were gritted together, each breath huffing in and out through clenched teeth. Sweat beaded at his temples and ran down his back as his arm trembled under the murderous onslaught that was rapidly turning his flesh to charcoal. “Arggh!” he cried when he could no longer contain his agony, his head flung backwards as he tried to arch away from the unrelenting heat.

With a chuckle, the torch was removed as Louis stood back to observe the investigator’s reaction.

Magnum dropped his head to his chest, feeling both flushed and cold at the same time. He knew his shaking was in reaction to the pain but felt like he had no ability to stop. His breaths seesawed from his chest, while the fire in his arm continued to burn, the pulsing throb bringing moisture to his eyes and blurring his vision.

“Thought you said you were a coward?” Louis asked, having been surprised at how long it had taken for the man to finally cry out.

Thomas shakily lifted his head to glare darkly at the man. Taking several more steadying breaths, he finally found enough air to reply. “You’ve made a mistake.” He paused to swallow against a painfully dry throat. “I don’t know him,” he motioned towards Frankie with his chin, “and I don’t know you. If you don’t want things to get a whole lot worse, you’ll let me go.”

Louis guffawed in genuine mirth. “You’re threatening me?” he asked incredulously. “Look around,” he motioned to his men with open arms. “You’re outnumbered and tied up.”

Hardening his tone, Magnum replied, “All in, all the time.”

Louis’ expression momentarily turned to confusion, but then he shrugged off the odd comment. “Whatever, man.” This time, he focused on Thomas’ other arm.

As the flame licked hungrily at the delicate skin, Magnum forced himself to compartmentalize the pain. With effort, he drew his head back just before flinging himself forward at his antagonist.

“What the hell?” Louis screamed as he was headbutted, his hand jerking with the rest of his body. As he moved, the torch set fire to the rope binding the P.I.’s arm to the chair. It was the only opportunity Thomas needed.

With a rage as hot as the flame he’d been burned with, he stood, dragging the chair still attached to one arm with him. Using his whole body, he raised the bound arm, bringing the seat around to strike Louis in the head. The man dropped like a rock, while the men around him watched in shock.

Thomas didn’t waste his advantage, similarly attacking one man with the chair until it splintered, and then using the legs to beat another into unconsciousness. When he’d finished, he was stunned to find himself alone, the other members of Louis’ gang having fled to avoid a similar fate.

Dropping the wooden sticks to the ground, he blinked against the sweat now dripping into his eyes. He raised an arm, intending to wipe his brow, but then stopped when he caught sight of the badly burned skin on his arms. Lifting his other arm, he stared down at the blistering flesh, the smell of it suddenly assaulting him and forcing him to his knees.

He retched miserably for well over a minute, each heave intensifying the nauseating pulsing in his arms. When he’d finished, he was covered in a cold sweat. Staggering to his feet, he forced himself to walk to the door, resolutely ignoring the weakness in his legs and the spinning of his head.

Almost to the exit, he paused, realizing he’d need help and all his belongings had been left behind in the Ferrari. Groaning miserably, he stumbled back to the nearest fallen man, patting down the man’s pockets until he found his prize: a cellphone.

No matter how urgent his need for help, he couldn’t bring himself to remain inside for even a moment longer than necessary. With uneven steps and ragged breaths, he found his way outside and collapsed against the wall, letting his legs fold beneath him as he slid to the ground.

His hands were still trembling as he dialed the phone, grateful when Katsumoto answered on the second ring. “Gordon, I need your help,” he began, his voice reedy and small. Whether it was Magnum’s tone or his words, for once, Katsumoto simply listened and agreed to send units to his location at once.

Magnum let the phone drop to the ground, the act of holding it having become too much for his injured arm. Instead, he rested his limbs on bent knees with the burned skin facing upwards, grimacing at their ravaged state. Letting his head drop back against the wall behind him, he closed his eyes while he waited for help to arrive.

Minutes later, the sound of sirens startled him, several cars suddenly appearing around him as though out of thin air. In the lead was Katsumoto’s sedan, the man himself barely throwing the car into park before he was out of the vehicle and running toward him.

The detective crouched down beside Magnum, his eyes immediately drawn to the damage on the investigator’s arms. “Jesus,” he blurted out. “What happened?”

Thomas merely motioned behind him with his head. “The guys who did this are in there. Also, you’ll find a guy in need of medical attention,” he added, suddenly remembering Frankie and feeling unaccountably guilty for not checking on the man sooner.

“Yeah, I kind of figured someone would be hurt,” Katsumoto agreed, already waving towards the paramedics with one arm. “Looks like you’ll be going for a ride, too,” he said, glancing down meaningfully at Magnum’s arms.

“Yeah,” Thomas hissed, the reminder of his injuries making the pain spike sharply.

Just then, one of the officers who’d headed into the warehouse came back out to give the detective an update. “Three men plus the victim, all in various states of consciousness.” He glanced momentarily at the P.I. slumped on the ground. “All of them will need medical checks.” Katsumoto gave a nod in reply to dismiss the man.

“How’d you get the upper hand against three guys?” he asked, noting the man’s pale countenance.

Magnum met his friend’s gaze, smirking faintly as he replied, “All in, all the time.” His grin only widened at Gordon’s confused expression, but he deliberately didn’t enlighten the man. After all, it wasn’t the detective’s fault if he’d forgotten that Thomas was a former SEAL, and SEALs never quit – ever.

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to AZGirl for proofing; all remaining mistakes are mine.
> 
> This story was based on the day 14 prompt: Is something burning? branding/ heat exhaustion / fire
> 
> Thanks for reading and I'd love to hear your thoughts if you're so inclined!


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